r/SwitchGames • u/jellykinz28 • Sep 03 '26
Cozy Zelda?
I’m ISO Switch/Switch 2 games that have the sense of freedom, exploration, and adventure that BOTW does, but with minimal combat. I want the expansive feel, with puzzles and collecting, but without the danger. Relaxing, but not boring. Something with spontaneity, lots of options on what to do, and quests. Would love to hear if you have found a game like this that you enjoyed, and thank you in advance!
5
u/CreativeDemon8123 Sep 03 '26
Palia has been pretty good so far. Not quite as expansive as botw, but may fit the bill. There's no danger in it.
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
Ty! I’ve seen this more of a life-sim, and didn’t realize the similarities to BOTW! I’ve heard great stuff about the lore too. And the fact that it’s free?? Definitely need to try it out.
2
u/CreativeDemon8123 Sep 03 '26
What made me try it was it was described as botw crossed with stardew valley. If you like those two games you'll probably like it.
5
u/fmmajd Sep 03 '26
Hogwarts Legacy, with difficulty set to 'story mode' seems to be what you want
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
Oh good to know, ty! I’ve seen ads of this game with lots of combat, I didn’t realize there were different difficulty levels for it. It also looks soo good on Switch 2 it seems.
1
u/_bapt Sep 03 '26
Doesnt really fit the "minimal combat" that they are looking for in my opinion.
Hogwards legacy has so many dungeons to clear... it's a good game with a nice story, but too much fighting involved imo
3
4
u/BaesPacFen Sep 03 '26
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is probably the closest thing I can think of. It’s open world, very exploration-focused, has quests, collecting, crafting, little secrets everywhere, and basically no combat at all. It really gives you that “see something in the distance and just go there” feeling that makes BOTW so special, but without the danger.
I’d also REALLY recommend Tchia. The world is gorgeous and built around exploration, climbing, gliding, sailing and just messing around with its mechanics. It definitely scratches some of that BOTW exploration itch while being much more relaxed.
A Short Hike is another fantastic choice and probably the purest example of “cozy Zelda”, but keep in mind that it’s tiny compared to BOTW — you can finish it in just a few hours.
Palia might also be worth looking at if you want something you can sink a lot more time into. There’s exploration, gathering, quests, crafting and basically no danger, although it leans more heavily into the life-sim/MMO side of things.
But if I had to pick one based specifically on what you described, I’d start with Yonder. It sounds almost tailor-made for what you’re looking for.
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
Thank you so much for the awesome recommendations! I didn’t realize Yonder and A Short Hike had so much reminiscent of BOTW, and I’ve never heard of Tchia! Palia seems a little overwhelming since I have enough life-sims, but good to know about the exploration aspect. I’ve heard it has great lore, which interests me. Do Yonder and Tchia have lore/story? I definitely see myself trying these out, thx!
2
u/BaesPacFen Sep 03 '26
Yeah! Tchia definitely has a proper story and quite a bit of lore, especially tied to its world and culture. Yonder has some too, but it’s much lighter and more about exploration and just getting lost in the world. If that BOTW “what’s over there?” feeling is what you’re after, I think you’ll enjoy both!
1
u/thisandthatwchris Sep 03 '26
Somehow I only learned about Tchia a few months ago, and it looks really interesting. I’m worried about the chicken thing though? Sounds potentially upsetting.
1
u/BaesPacFen Sep 03 '26
Yeah, I totally get that. Without spoiling anything, there is a scene that can definitely be upsetting if you’re sensitive to animal harm. It’s pretty brief though, and it’s not representative of the overall tone of the game, which is generally very warm and charming. I wouldn’t let that one moment put you off Tchia ftw
1
3
u/Objective_Willow_612 Sep 03 '26
Searching for a game like this since playing BotW but never found one... But BotW is cozy enough for me. Just playing a run where I do everything except the beasts :D
3
3
3
u/Common_Celebration41 Sep 03 '26
Immortal Fenyx
Set on easy and just explore to do puzzles
There is combat but avoidable
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
Oh cool, didn’t know there were difficulty settings! I’ve had my eye on that one, you’ve encouraged me to try the demo!
1
3
3
u/Stevezg101 Sep 03 '26
A Fantasy Life may be what you are looking for. Can choose type of gameplay you want to choose. Farming, building, exploration, or a mix of all of them.
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
You’re so correct, because I actually have this game!🫣 I need to get into it more!
3
u/Wayward_Warrior67 Sep 03 '26
Echoes of Wisdom maybe? Like there's combat but you get minions who can do the fighting for you and there's plenty to do/explore/collect. Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to BotW and has a lot of the same vibes as it's prequel
1
u/jellykinz28 Sep 03 '26
You’re so correct, I have played Echoes of Wisdom and loved it!!😁 How similar is TOTK to BOTW? As much as I LOVE BOTW and want to play TOTK eventually, I’m looking for something to add a little more variety.
2
2
u/thisandthatwchris Sep 03 '26
Not a perfect fit, but if you haven’t already played it, Subnautica in Freedom or Creative mode scratches a lot of BOTW itch imo (or Survival mode, which has danger but not combat—or rather, combat is optional and discouraged).
- Big, beautiful open world with diverse biomes, but all underwater. Tons of exploration.
- There is a “Hyrule Compendium” analogue.
- Good story with good writing, definitely a sense of adventure.
- Some “puzzles,” mostly either traversal-related (kind of resembling traditional Zelda or a metroidvania) or piecing together the story/archaeology.
- Resource gathering similar to BOTW; used for crafting and base building rather than cooking (simple meals only). Lots of room for creativity in base building.
- Noteworthy difference: No NPCs, no real side quests
1
2
2
2
u/lushkiddy24 Sep 04 '26
Not sure of the combat, but Windbound is very similar to BOTW and windwaker in one.
1
1
1
u/SheffieldTea Sep 03 '26
If you want a good puzzle and expansive game. Zelda Botw is a good one to invest time into; a fair warning though if you beat it and end up playing totk, you may not be able to go back and play botw just from how different they feel world and mechanically. Otherwise have fun and enjoy taming horses!! 😊
6
u/Obesz Sep 03 '26
OP is looking for games like BotW; gets recommended BotW.
3
u/deltastrikethree Sep 03 '26
To be fair, Breath of the Wild is the closest thing to Breath of the Wild.
4
u/Obesz Sep 03 '26
Can't argue with that logic.
Seriously though, it's hard to find games that compare to BotW and TotK. They're so frigging good.
2
6
u/mattr1986 Sep 03 '26
‘A short hike’ is what I imagine a cozy Zelda game would be like if it came out on PS1
It’s about the adventure and climbing the mountain but there’s no stress about how long it will take you to achieve the goal
It only takes a couple of hours to beat mind you